The Ball State women’s swimming and diving program prepares for its final regular season competition Friday evening when it travels to Indiana State to take on the Sycamores and Butler. The meet takes place at the Vigo County Aquatic Center at 7 p.m.
When the Cardinals and Sycamores met at the Miami Invitational earlier this season, Indiana State came out as the runner-up (981.5), compared to Ball State’s fourth-place finish (632.5).
Junior Payton Kelly picked up wins in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles throughout the three-day invite, while sophomore Alexa Von Holtz took the top prize in the 200 butterfly.
Ball State placed first (1122) out of 13 teams at the House of Champions Invitational last season, finishing eight places ahead of Butler (530).
Kelly and Von Holtz both clocked program records on day one of the invite, with Kelly taking first place in the 50 freestyle (22.32) and Von Holtz taking first in the 200 IM (2:00.85).
Days two and three followed suit as Von Holtz took first in the 400 IM (4:21.75), claiming the second-fastest time in program history while Kelly’s first-place finish in the 100 freestyle (49.12) claimed a then-program record.
Fans can follow the action in Friday’s meet via Meet Mobile.
IN THE MAC RANKINGS
In the latest NCAA Division I Top Time Rankings as compiled by CollegeSwimming.com, the Cardinals have 10 student-athletes ranked in scoring position in their respective events heading into Friday’s competition at home.
Women’s Swimmers Currently Ranked in the MAC Top 16
50 Freestyle: 2nd – Payton Kelly (22.52) / T-7th – Anna Keen (22.82)
100 Freestyle: 2nd – Payton Kelly (49.06) / 10th – Anna Keen (50.10)
200 Freestyle: 2nd – Payton Kelly (1:47.77)
500 Freestyle: 16th – Callie Tuma (5:00.14)
1000 Freestyle: 4th – McKenna Potteiger (10:17.41) / 8th – Payton Kelly (10:19.26) / 11th – Callie Tuma (10:23.18)
1650 Freestyle: 4th – McKenna Potteiger (17:03.20) / 5th – Callie Tuma (17:05.32)
100 Backstroke: 16th – N/A
200 Backstroke: 7th – Olivia Owens (2:00.06) / 13th – Alyssa Messenger (2:01.19)
100 Breaststroke: 11th – Laura Wright (1:03.14) / 15th – Anna Keen (1:03.49)
200 Breaststroke: 16th – Julia Ofman (2:20.06)
100 Butterfly: 3rd – Anna Keen (53.84) / 16th – Ava Butterfield (56.00)
200 Butterfly: 2nd – Alexa Von Holtz (1:59.70)
200 IM: 10th – Alexa Von Holtz (2:03.40)
400 IM: 5th – Alexa Von Holtz (4:21.48) / 13th McKenna Potteiger (4:27.61)
200 Freestyle Relay: 4th – Ball State (1:31.95)
400 Freestyle Relay: 5th – Ball State (3:23.29)
800 Freestyle Relay: 5th – Ball State (7:31.98)
200 Medley Relay: 5th – Ball State (1:41.02)
400 Medley Relay: 5th – Ball State (3:42.94)
FROM THE DIVING BOARDS:
Graduate Grace Walker currently leads the Cardinals on both the 1M (293.10) and 3M (276.68) boards, with her 1M score being an NCAA Zone Diving Qualifying mark and the fourth-best individual score for six dives in program history.
Ball State Divers Top Results in 2024-25
Grace Walker (Gr.) – 293.10* on 1M / 276.68 on 3M
Leelah Fettig (So.) – 261.98 on 1M / 276.00 on 3M
Hannah Justice (Jr.) – 223.50 on 1M / 214.05 on 3M
Eeva-Liisa Gibson (Fr.) – 227.03 on 1M / 222.98 on 3M
Tommy-Anne Marriott (Fr.) – 185.85 on 1M / 237.30 on 3M
NCAA Zone Diving Qualifying Marks: 265 on 1M / 280 on 3M
MAC AWARD WINNERS:
So far this season, the Cardinals have already claimed one Mid-American Conference weekly award with junior Payton Kelly claiming her fifth career honor on December 11.
Swimming Award Winners:
12/11/2024 – Payton Kelly MAC Women’s Swimmer of the Week
EVENT WINNERS:
As a squad, the Cardinals have chalked up 47 individual event wins and seven relay victories so far this season.
2024-25 Women’s Individual Event Winners (47)
14 – Payton Kelly (Jr.)
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: 100 Freestyle (51.97) / 200 Freestyle (1:51.25)
Oct. 18 at Miami: 50 Freestyle (23.60) / 100 Freestyle (51.83)
Nov. 8 at IU Indy: 100 Freestyle (52.30)
Nov. 23 at Bellarmine: 100 Backstroke (57.16) / 1000 Freestyle (10:19.26)
Dec. 5-7 at Miami Invitational: 50 Freestyle (22.52) / 200 Freestyle (1:47.77) / 100 Freestyle (49.06)
Jan. 18 vs. Bowling Green: 200 Freestyle (1:53.94) / 100 Freestyle (51.49)
Jan. 31 at Akron: 50 Freestyle (23.18) / 100 Freestyle (50.70)
7 – Alexa Von Holtz (So.)
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: 200 Butterfly (2:05.06)
Nov. 8 at IU Indy: 200 Butterfly (2:02.62) / 200 IM (2:07.28)
Nov. 23 at Bellarmine: 200 Freestyle (1:57.05) / 100 Butterfly (57.44)
Dec. 5-7 at Miami Invitational: 200 Butterfly (1:59.70)
Jan. 18 vs. Bowling Green: 200 Butterfly (2:02.61)
7 – Laura Wright (Gr.)
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: 100 Butterfly (1:04.76) / 200 Butterfly (2:23.46)
Oct. 18 at Miami: 100 Butterfly (1:04.90) / 200 Butterfly (2:21.96)
Nov. 8 at IU Indy: 100 Breaststroke (1:04.71) / 200 Breaststroke (2:21.08)
Jan. 18 vs. Bowling Green: 100 Breaststroke (1:05.38)
3 – Anna Keen (Fr.)
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: 50 Freestyle (24.61)
Nov. 8 at IU Indy: 50 Freestyle (23.69)
Jan. 18 vs. Bowling Green: 50 Freestyle (24.34)
3 – McKenna Potteiger (Fr.)
Oct. 18 at Miami: 1000 Freestyle (10:28.48)
Jan. 18 vs. Bowling Green: 1000 Freestyle (10:27.95) / 500 Freestyle (5:07.67)
3 – Grace Walker (Gr.)
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: 1M Diving (293.10) / 3M Diving (276.68)
Oct. 18 at Miami: 1M Diving (283.50)
2 – Leelah Fettig (So.)
Nov. 8 at IU Indy: 1M Diving (253.05) / 3M Diving (242.63)
2- Alyssa Messenger (Jr.)
Nov. 8 at IU Indy: 100 Backstroke (57.65) / 200 Backstroke (2:04.16)
2 – Lilia Newkirk (Sr.)
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: 100 Backstroke (57.69) / 200 Backstroke (2:05.10)
2 – Kiran Stauffer (Jr.)
Oct. 18 at Miami: 200 Butterfly (2:03.88) / 400 IM (4:32.57)
1 – Kayla Newman (So.)
Nov. 23 at Bellarmine: 500 Freestyle (5:14.11)
1 – Haley Sakbun (Jr.)
Nov. 23 at Bellarmine: 100 Freestyle (53.79)
2024-25 Women’s Relay Winners (7)
4 – 200 Medley Relay
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: Newkirk, Wright, Keen, Kelly (1:44.68)
Nov. 8 at IU Indy: Messenger, Ofman, Keen, Kelly (1:44.92)
Nov. 23 at Bellarmine: Messenger, Ofman, Bader, Sakbun (1:47.56)
Jan. 18 vs. Bowling Green: Newkirk, Wright, Keen, Kelly (1:45.00)
3 – 400 Freestyle Relay
Oct. 12 vs. UIC: Keen, Sakbun, Stauffer, Kelly (3:30.84)
Nov. 23 at Bellarmine: Stauffer, Sakbun, Tuma, Kelly (3:37.54)
Jan. 18 vs. Bowling Green: Keen, Sakbun, Butterfield, Kelly (3:31.08)
